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As a college student today, it’s hard to imagine what the next 250 years might look like from now. The world is changing already with technology, culturally, and the environment. It is still able to make an educational guess on what might happen.

One of the biggest changes might be about how people might travel and live. Cities will advance and will become environmentally friendly with buildings that generate their own energy and spaces designed for nature. Transportation could become increasingly faster and efficient.

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In my ideal America, we have turned the clock on climate change and brought back our beautiful national parks and nature in general throughout the United States of America.

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As we approach your 250th birthday, I am not just thinking about what we have built thus far, I am envisioning what the future entails for us.

The idea of “jobs” as we know them will change drastically. Our status quo nine to five routines will likely fade away due to a simple adversary. Technology is already replacing human labor at an undocumented rate. The automation of machines will continue to take over tasks once done by people. In the beginning, this will feel like a terrifying wake up call. But this is a matter of perspective because it can finally release us from the rat race of life.

When our survival no longer depends on working endless hours for another person. We will for the first time since our nomadic era of: what do we do now?

I foresee many of us will return to something simpler. A choice to live as we did 250 years ago our survival depends on our decisions. Small communities connected with each other as friends and neighbors. Farming won’t just be a job, it will be a way to reconnect with what is real.. A slower pace to life not chasing the next promotion to buy a bigger house and nicer car. A quieter kind of happiness. Instead of chasing status or wealth, people may start chasing peace. Time with family. Sunlight. Health. Purpose that isn’t measured by income, but by fulfillment.

This future won’t be perfect. There will be challenges—how we distribute resources, how we redefine value, how we stay connected without losing ourselves. But it also holds the possibility of something we’ve been missing: balance.

Maybe the next America isn’t about being the most powerful nation, but the most grounded one.

A place where people don’t just scrape by but actually live.

The next 250 years could bring us back to something we forgot we needed: a simple and fulfilling life.

Sincerely,
A voice from the next generation :)

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This is my letter to America

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Flagler College, King Street, St. Augustine, FL

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Letter To America: What I Hope A Better America Looks Like

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Letter To America: What I Hope A Better America Looks Like

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Letter To America - Riley Wills - 04_26_2025

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Climate Change in our country in 250 Years

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Name: The Future Should Still Be Human.

Personally, I have no idea how the world will look in 250 years, but neither does anyone else. It is not possible to envision a world we are to live in when we are living in one today that is constantly changing. Since everything has changed with technology, like the creation of artificial intelligence, it is hard to tell what will happen next. I would rather not attempt to predict the future, but rather make my future all that it can be by using my full potential and the skills that I have acquired from others over the years.

When I was a little girl, life used to feel more real. Not in the sense that it was strict or predictable, but it felt more magical and connected. People took the time to engage in conversations, as opposed to impersonal and over the phone communication. Times were more precious, people were present, and it felt like you were heard. Nowadays, a lot of individuals are under pressure at all times and this is because of what technology has done to our mindsets. Social media compels us to make comparisons of our lives, our bodies and our successes. It created a world in which people feel that they are never good enough and have to compare themselves to the people they see through a screen. It can lead to an unhealthy level of insecurity and negativity. We think that if do exactly what the people we see on the media doing, it will cure our happiness or fix the insecurities that we have. In reality, what makes us really happy is those we surround ourselves with because life is all about the little moments. Most people do not understand this because they prioritize money or attempting to become perfect through the medias eyes over their happiness.

This continuous stress can lead people to lose their identity and a sense of who they truly are. This can be seen through the newer generation. As they grow older they do not know what they are passionate about or how to achieve their goals. They simply follow the trends by copying what is popular and let the media decide what is best for them. Success is not about money or power, but about being happy with what you have in your life. It is supposed to be about being satisfied, having purpose, and living a life worth living.

Like I previously mentioned, one of the largest transformations of our world is the creation of artificial intelligence. While it can enable us to work, learn, and solve problems quicker than ever before, it also has a downside. It tempts people allowing it do work for them and is another way to lose ones identity. Knowing this, it asks an important question, will we begin to substitute actual human connection for this artificial intelligence? Based on our history we tend to follow the crowd and take the easy way out. We also lead by example, so will this kind of upbringing teach our children to depend on others to do things for them? Do we want them to see us talking to machines rather than people? Emotions cannot be substituted by algorithms, they are genuine and direct, while machines are smart, that is the one thing we have that they do not. That is why we must use technology to assist us, and not to replace the actual relationships, empathy and understandings that we create ourselves. For example, the most miscommunications happen over text. This is simply because you cannot hear the emotions in the persons voice or see their body language to tell you how to react or respond.

I do not simply desire my America to be better in the future, but to be more humane, more connected. A venue where people will feel comfortable to talk openly and face to face with one another. While also remembering to treat one another with kindness and respect. After all the golden rule is to treat others the way you want to be treated. Machines and technology will not reciprocate emotions like a person can. My America is located where success is not just about money, but happiness, purpose, and meaning. It will be a place where individuals can feel comfortable being themselves without continually feeling the need to be perfect and compare anything about themselves to another person. Avoiding the development of insecurities in the first place. Eliminating this problem will result in a happier, more unified America that does not rely on technology to solve our issues.

I also wish to have a future where everyone is in less of a hurry. Where we appreciate real experiences, real talk, and real relationships more. Not just small talk, but conversations that make hours feel like minutes. A world that does not involve technology controlling people or allowing them to avoid confrontation, but it is used wisely. We can slow down, listen to those around us, and create these relationships that can bloom into so much more.

While we do not know what will happen in the next 250 years, what we do have is the power to create a new life, on that centers around those we care about, not the screen in front of our eyes. The future does not need to be smarter or faster, but kinder, more straightforward, and more human. These small, genuine actions will lead us to advancements that can result in a smart and efficient world.

Real progress is not merely in what we see others doing, or what the media tells us, but in who we are and what we make of our interactions with others. These are the little things in life that I spoke about earlier, and it leads to progress in both ourselves and future. Generations to come will follow these examples and learn to not lean so much on technology and artificial intelligence, but those around them for love and support.

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America 250th AI

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Our Southern Youth Have Something to Say

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Our Southern Youth Have Something to Say

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“The South got something to say” This quote, simple and electrifying, was shared by Andre 3000 at the 1995 Source Awards during the height of the East versus West coast hip hop rivalry.

Andre 3000 was part of the famous music duo Outkast, hailing from Atlanta and making music that didn’t fit the mold of the hip hop scene at the time. As the duo climbed to the stage to receive the award for Best New Artist (group), boos echoed through the crowd, all aimed at these Southern outsiders.

Gen Z wasn’t even around yet to hear the audience’s discontent and Andre 3000’s declaration in 1995, but these words have echoed in my own Gen Z brain since I was old enough to hear and remember them.

I was raised in rural Southern Appalachia, a place that is too often forgotten, stigmatized, underfunded, and underestimated. Living far out in the country meant less access to quality food and healthcare. It meant feeling like the rest of the world was happening somewhere you couldn't quite reach.

But the South was also beautiful to me. My neighbors were all so different from one another, whether it be income or immigration statuses, sexualities, or races, this variety is what I loved most about where I came from. My neighbors baked for one another, laughed, argued, celebrated, all while being so different. As folks like to say, the South is not a monolith, and that’s what made it worth fighting for.

But too many folks who became educated left our region in the pursuit of bigger opportunities in a larger city. I watched friends and family members graduate from college and look North or West. "You want to make money or a name for yourself? You have to leave the South." As a child, I had a front row seat to brain drain.

It’s been over 30 years since Andre 3000 declared the South, and more specifically Atlanta, was THE place to look for rising talent and creativity. In these 30 years, we’ve seen Atlanta and the Southern region grow, with too many great stars and leaders to even name, but we are still seeing pain and underinvestment in our communities. States in the Southern region are consistently ranked among the least educated, highest in food insecurity, highest in maternal mortality — the list goes on.

But I envision a South that keeps aiming towards a prosperous future. One where our youth can dream big, become overly educated, overly passionate, overly artistic, and can live a prosperous life in the area their families have called home for generations. I want the world to see the Southern United States as more than a region full of pain and stereotypes, and also as an epicenter of culture and national movements and joy.

Andre 3000 was just 20 years old when he walked onto that stage at Madison Square Garden and told a room full of people who didn't believe in him that the South had something to say. He was right then, and thirty years later, Southern youth still do.

So as you plan for the 250th, I'm asking you to find and connect with our Southern youth. Go to places that don't have the biggest stages or the easiest access. Be creative about how you reach and interact with rural communities, small towns, places that have been underestimated before and know exactly what that feels like and what to do about it. Involve Southern youth not as an afterthought but as a source of innovation and creativity. I promise what they've got to say is worth hearing.

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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. But at what cost?

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Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. But at what cost?

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Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But at what cost?

Yes, I am an American and I have always lived in the United States. I have had the privilege to travel the world, to Nepal and India, to South Africa and Thailand. I have seen amazing places and experienced breathtaking cultures, but I am from the United States. I am incredibly lucky to be from here, where democracy is valued and my voice is heard.

But lately, I feel more uncertain about my place here. I feel uncertain of the safety of my neighbors who are immigrants. I feel uncertain of using my voice to express my concerns. I know that there are people living in the United States in fear of being separated from their loved ones, being torn away without being able to say goodbye. Having to fear this is not fair, not right. I wish that our country was not so divided. I wish that despite political differences, humanity and compassion prevailed.

The United States has so much potential and beauty. Patriotism remains strong, but are we taking pride in the right things, the good things? We should be proud of our landscapes and our neighbors. We should take pride in the diverse cultures that bless our country.

In fact, the American Dream should not just be a dream. It should be an achievable reality. Instead of building borders and using hateful rhetoric when speaking of immigrants, we should have open arms and welcoming words. We should be a safe place in times of violence and fear. We should not invoke violence and fear ourselves.

So how do we achieve this compassion and humanity? We must not identify immigrants and minorities as one monolithic identity here in the US, but address the culture and dreams that they bring to the United States. We must not let political parties divide us and distract us from real problems that plague the US. We should not engage in hateful and negative rhetoric that inflicts fear and danger on minorities. Only then can we make progress to build the United States into a country that embodies life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This should be our goal on the 250th anniversary of the United States.

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Anniversaries like the Semiquincetennial this year are times when we reflect on how we got here and what promises have been fulfilled and which ones haven’t. It’s during this year that we should imagine possibilities about what our country should be in the next 250 years. Here’s a possibility of what our country should aim for the next milestone.

One is to have a strong public transportation system. Compared to other countries in the world, we lag behind in terms of ridership. The infrastructure that we now have such as highways, buses, and rail transit have been in poor condition. It would be nice in the next couple of years for cities to modernize and invest in infrastructure. Maybe they could bring back trolleys in order to entice people to use the public transportation system. Congress should invest in a plan that can bring high speed rail that is common in places like Europe to this country so people don’t always have to rely on airplanes.

Another is a complete ban on AI. Artificial Intelligence has shown itself to be a problem more than a boon. We are seeing that AI has created problems such as job displacement, threaten the livelihood of creative professionals, and impairing skills such as critical thinking. There has to be action from both the grassroots and in the halls of power to make sure that AI is completely banned from use. To ban it is to save humanity and preserve civilization. It would also be nice to see a climate where one job is enough to pay the bills. Today, many have to work two or more jobs in order to make ends meet. Even with those multiple jobs, it may not be enough to pay the necessary bills. The next 250 years should see a movement to create an economic climate so that one job is enough for a wage earner to survive and make the payments.

We should also see a revitalization of the Humanities. Over the years, STEM has been geared a lot towards the youth today because of the offers of high salaries and job security. As a result, Humanities has taken a bit of a beating. It would be nice in the next few years or so to emphasize the importance of the Humanities. Now, I’m not downplaying the importance of STEM and the people who major in them. They have just as much worth and dignity as any other human being. But I want to note humanities can foster important skills such as empathy, communication, creativity, and problem solving in a way that automation can’t and can also benefit STEM itself.

And finally, we should bring back third spaces into public life. As a member of Gen Z, I’ve witnessed the erosion of third spaces from life. There was a lot of these spaces when I was a kid. Now as an adult, they’ve been mostly eliminated. All of this has fueled an epidemic of loneliness. The next 250 years should see all sectors bring back third spaces. There should be investments in things like local libraries and parks that cities can make. When designing urban areas, architects should design them in a way that makes them walkable and conducive to human interaction. Workplaces should create third spaces so coworkers could mingle and get to know one another. These strategies are ones that will help foster belonging and hopefully bring an end to the loneliness epidemic.

These wishes are ones that America should aim for the next years or so. I know these goals are not only shared by me, but also from my fellow Gen Z’ers and thousands of other Americans across this great land. These will not be accomplished overnight and these wishes will take time. But these are ones that all Americans should strive for. If we take action and accomplish them, our future and our country will be in a much better place than we were before.

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Here is what I imagine America to look like in 250 years as someone from the UK

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America in the Future (Podcasting) final-2

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I truly do hope this becomes true

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I envision America in 250 years from now as a nation that is technologically advanced—where robots and artificial intelligence handle much of e-commerce and everyday systems, making life more efficient and accessible.

More importantly, I hope that 250 years from now, our education system has changed. Schools should not prioritize memorizing information that does little to prepare students for real life. Instead of focusing only on careers, education should teach people how to be human—how to think, connect, and understand one another. The most valuable “currency” shouldn’t just be money; instead, they should look to much more valuable currency’s such as love, relationships, and meaningful experiences.

When people look back on their lives, they won’t remember every detail of what they did in school or work—they’ll remember who they shared those moments with. That is what truly matters.

I also envision a world where harmful content is less normalized—where people aren’t constantly exposed to things like violence or pornography through everyday media. The digital world should uplift people, not desensitize them.

In addition, I hope our government evolves beyond the limitations two-party system. Too often, it divides citizens and turns differences into conflict instead of encouraging understanding and cooperation.

Ultimately, I believe our nation doesn’t just need technological advancement—it needs moral advancement. The future of America should be defined not only by what we create, but how  each citizen treats each other, because the past few years our country has never felt more divided.

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America In the Future

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Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But at what cost?

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Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But at what cost?

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Yes, I am an American and I have always lived in the United States. I have had the privilege to travel the world, to Nepal and India, to South Africa and Thailand. I have seen amazing places and experienced breathtaking cultures, but I am from the United States. I am incredibly lucky to be from here, where democracy is valued and my voice is heard.

But lately, I feel more uncertain about my place here. I feel uncertain of the safety of my neighbors who are immigrants. I feel uncertain of using my voice to express my concerns. I know that there are people living in the United States in fear of being separated from their loved ones, being torn away without being able to say goodbye. Having to fear this is not fair, not right. I wish that our country was not so divided. I wish that despite political differences, humanity and compassion prevailed.

The United States has so much potential and beauty. Patriotism remains strong, but are we taking pride in the right things, the good things? We should be proud of our landscapes and our neighbors. We should take pride in the diverse cultures that bless our country.

In fact, the American Dream should not just be a dream. It should be an achievable reality. Instead of building borders and using hateful rhetoric when speaking of immigrants, we should have open arms and welcoming words. We should be a safe place in times of violence and fear. We should not invoke violence and fear ourselves.

So how do we achieve this compassion and humanity? We must not identify immigrants and minorities as one monolithic identity here in the US, but address the culture and dreams that they bring to the United States. We must not let political parties divide us and distract us from real problems that plague the US. We should not engage in hateful and negative rhetoric that inflicts fear and danger on minorities. Only then can we make progress to build the United States into a country that embodies life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. This should be our goal on the 250th anniversary of the United States.

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When I think of America, I think of a land of opportunity, freedom, and prosperity. I don’t write these into words often, but maybe I should in the future. I see people who blatantly lie about our nation from the inside all the time and I just truly never understood it. Our country obviously isn’t perfect; not a single country is. Does the USA have things to fix? Yes. Is the USA the greatest place to currently live, raise a family, have access to jobs, and be militarily safe? Also yes. As a whole, I believe our nation should be more grateful for what we have, and I believe over the next 250 we need to focus on all of the blessings we have here.

No country can be great at everything, and America is no exception. But all things considered, there’s nowhere I’d rather be. There is a reason that America is a very popular immigrant destination, both in legal and other forms. My mother is a prime example of this. My mother grew up in Hong Kong, while it was still British, and was in Hong Kong until a couple years after the British handover back to China. Despite Hong Kong being a global business hub in the current day, and many signs pointing that way for years, the truth was that opportunities in America far outweighed anything Hong Kong could offer. So when she got the chance, she filed for paperwork and legally immigrated to the United States, where now she got multiple degrees, owns properties in two states, and runs her own business. She currently still runs her own accounting business, which she has built from the ground up.

In a similar way, although my father and his father were both born in New York, both of my father’s grandfathers came from the south of Italy, and using records available on the internet, as well as my father’s own memory of family history, I was able to pinpoint that his paternal grandfather was born in Corato, not far from the City of Bari in the southeastern province of Puglia. I was able to determine that his maternal grandfather was born in Muro Lucano, in Basilicata, which is the province directly west of Puglia, although they probably would have lived about a 2 hours drive away from each other. I was also able to determine some other lines of the family had moved from another southern region (Campania) into Basilicata before coming over. However, the biggest plague in Southern Italy, both then and now, is the lack of available jobs in the region.

Italy, although known for it’s beautiful landscapes and tourist destinations, isn’t this amazing fairy-tale storybook place to live. It is still a nice country all things considered, but many people, especially in the south, can hardly find a job to afford to live. Many have to move north, or like my ancestors did, immigrate. Looking through other records, my father’s paternal grandfather had multiple siblings, and only one stayed in Italy. Despite living in a country that is by all means a “well off” western nation, the situation at the time (and even now) was so bad that all but one member of that family had to make the decision to leave.

They came here with basically nothing except their immigration documents and the clothes on their backs. They stayed, built families, a business, and worked hard. My father’s paternal grandfather delivered ice before people had refigerators. He worked long days, and carried thousands of pounds of ice over the course of a day when you add it all up. My other great grandfather ran his own shoe repair store. None of it was pretty or extravagant, but it was the hard work that our founders wanted instilled in all of us. They raised their children as Americans, and nothing else. My grandfather fought in the Navy for our flag, and proceeded to have a long career fixing cars post-WW2. He sent all three of his kids (my father, his brother, and his sister) to private schools in New York. He then sent my dad to college, first male in his family, as a college athlete no less. My father worked for over 30 years in the government as a court officer in the Supreme Court of New York.

I suppose the main thing I am getting at here is that we all should not take the opportunities here for granted. In the grand scheme of things, both of my family lines came from places that we would consider nice countries, places that might be considered in the top 10% of places that one may wish to live in. Despite all of that, with everything that both of those places had going for them, there was no better place to come than America, a place in which we take so much for granted, and in which we decide to waste our time fighting ourselves from within. Our country may not be perfect, and it probably never will be, but the next time you want to complain about something, think about how lucky your ancestors would consider you to be. Think of all of their sacrifices so you could live an amazing life in an amazing country. Never take it for granted, because there are millions of people worldwide who would ditch everything they know just to be in your situation. Let’s learn from the older generation, and take their values with us into our future. Let’s hope that the next 250 are just as good as the first 250, in a way that makes our country a top world power, a place where so many people would choose to live and work, a nation built on freedom, laws, hard work, and opportunity. I hope that all are grateful for the opportunities that America is able to give to all of us.

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Dear Future America,

I think America in the next 250 years will be a very strong and successful country. I believe people will continue finding new ways to improve life and make the country better for everyone.

In the future, technology will probably help people a lot. Doctors may cure diseases that are hard to treat today, transportation may become faster and easier, and schools may give students more opportunities to learn in better ways. Life could become more comfortable because of new ideas and inventions.

I also think America will continue to grow by bringing people together from many different backgrounds. Different cultures and ideas can help the country become stronger and more creative. This has always been an important part of America.

America has already passed through many hard moments in history, but it always keeps moving forward. That is why I think the country will continue improving in the future. People will learn from mistakes and try to build a better society.

I hope America in 250 years is a place where people still have freedom, equal opportunities, and the chance to follow their goals. I believe future generations will keep working hard to make the country a positive place to live.

Sincerely,

A student from today

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Dear America, Equality is the root of Government

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Dear America, Equality is the root of Government

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Dear America,

When I think about the future, I don’t think about much other than what we could do to become kinder. I think about how we treat each other and what kind of country we choose to be.

Right now, it feels as though people aren’t as kind as they could be. It’s easy to argue, judge, or assume the worst about someone, especially if they’re different from us. People don’t always take the time to listen or understand each other anymore. Sometimes it feels like everyone is just focused on themselves.

But I don’t think it has to stay that way.

In 250 years, I hope America is a place where people are kinder to each other. Not just in big ways, but in small, everyday moments too. Like being patient instead of getting angry, or actually listening to someone instead of interrupting them. Just simple things that can make a big difference.

I hope people in the future actually want what’s best for each other. Not just what’s best for themselves. I hope people care about others, even if they don’t know them personally. That kind of mindset could change so much.

I know people will always have different opinions, and that’s normal. But I hope we learn how to disagree without being disrespectful. You can have your own beliefs and still treat someone else with kindness. Those two things shouldn’t cancel each other out.

I also hope kindness becomes something that feels normal, not rare. Like helping someone out, checking in on a friend, or just being a good person without expecting anything in return. Those things shouldn’t stand out they should just be part of everyday life.

In the future, I want people to feel like they belong. Like they matter. Like they’re not alone. I think a lot of problems we have today could be better if people just felt understood and cared about.

The future of this country isn’t just going to be decided by big moments or important people. It’s going to come down to everyday choices. The way we talk to each other, the way we treat strangers, and the way we respond when things get hard.

So if I could say one thing about the next 250 years, it’s this: I hope we become kinder. I hope we learn to care more, judge less, and actually try to understand each other.

Because at the end of the day, that’s what really makes a country better.

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Letter

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Flagler College, King Street, St. Augustine, FL

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Every person on Earth has a desperate need to be heard. We post, write, and scream and hope someone will be gracious enough to jot down our intentions. However, the brutal truth is that only a few people will be etched in history. For every George Washington, there’s millions of forgotten leaders. There is not an innate talent or faint mysticism that separates these legends from “normal people.” What makes them significant is their willingness to speak out. You think it would be easier in the modern world; after all, microphones are imbedded in every phone. Since everyone has an outlet to amplify their words, no one stops to listen. Even those who are willing to change things are drowned in the clutter.

One thing I think America needs to address is school safety. Children should not have to fear their place of learning. Kids should not have to be on edge every time someone opens a backpack. Children should never have to fear what their classmates could do on a bad day. Some people suggest metal detectors or police officers stationed to protect the next generation. But I feel that’s avoiding the point. Schools are heavily understaffed and underfunded. Because of this, students’ mental health is at all time low. School counselors are stretched thin. More money must be allocated to the school districts. If we do not care and support the generations still learning, we will set America up for failure. By addressing mental health, we could stop these shootings before they happen. The name of the game is prevention.

Climate change is another fact of life we seemingly can’t reverse. We use our paper straws and carpool when we can, but it feels hopeless. For every step we take in the right direction, we take a thousand backwards. Corporations extract, plunge, and rape our world for fossil fuels and other non-renewable sources. No matter how loud we yell, our voices are lost in a corporate hurricane. Earth still has a chance to heal and recover. We saw this during the global Covid-19 shutdown. For example, Dolphins returned to Venice’s waters onc2 humanity was foreced to stay inside. Humanity and Earth need to find a balance. The first thing we could do is create harsher regulations on fracking and other environmentally damaging operations. Oil rigs and tankers must be made secure and far less likely to leak. Private aircraft should also be limited and regulated. Critical infrastructure like subways, busses, and trains should be employed across the country to limit the need for cars.

Complacency plagues our leaders. Politicians and other leaders spend so much effort to get elected and to win the support of the people. However, many think that’s where the race ends. That is wrong. The work should begin. We’ve had multiple disgusting reports of representatives sleeping in Congress. Our leaders need to remember they are only our leaders because we chose them. No place of political power should be given forever. Our leaders should be slaves to the people, not the other way around. For America to succeed we need more political transparency. Billions of dollars go missing every year without a trace. Money is constantly funneled and laundered away. Strong leadership is critical.

Each day, we seemingly approach a new dawn of technology. Artificial intelligence seems to be a herald of great changes in not only the USA but the world. AI’s presence has already changed our economy fundamentally. For example, Nvidia's shares have skyrocketed. In addition, computer parts have become far more expensive. New data centers have been erected all over the country.

I believe the United States isn’t the greatest country in the world based on any of it’s achievements. I believe it’s the greatest because of its ability to change. If the United States couldn’t adapt, we would have evaporated long ago. The USA should represent freedom, equality, and the pursuit of happiness. Yet, there are deep dissections that divide the country.

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250

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Flagler College, King Street, St. Augustine, FL

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A Letter to America: The Next 250 Years 

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A Letter to America: The Next 250 Years 

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Final Project on Climate Change and our Ecosystem

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Flagler College, King Street, St. Augustine, FL

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I hope the ability to access and the quality of education are improved.

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I hope the future will be where I thought we already were 

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I hope the future will be where I thought we already were 

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I remember when I was younger and learning about darker parts of history for the first time. I was lucky to grow up in a very excepting and diverse environment, so all of those concepts: racism, sexism, homophobia, they all seemed so alien. Especially on the scale that they were on.

When I went to a museum exhibit all about the AIDS epidemic, and how the government failed to act, I felt proud to grow up in a time where, as I thought, things like that didn’t happen anymore. But as I’ve grown up, over the last few years especially, I’ve come to realize I was wrong.

So as much as I want to spout off all these fantastical, science fiction or utopian ideas for where the world might be at in two hundred and fifty years, all I can honestly say is that in that time, I really really hope that when a kid learns about the atrocities and prejudice of the past and thinks, “I’m sure glad that doesn’t happen anymore,” that they’re right.

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The United States of American has always been defined by its promise of freedom and opportunity. We have always carried a vision of opportunity, freedom and self determination, Looking at the nation today, I hope we carry out those promises as we look into the future.  I hope we stay a nation of people who are hard working and blue collar who live out the American dream.

What kind of country are we leaving behind for our kids? I cant predict what the country will look like 250 years, but I can be the type of person who will set good examples, and raise kids who can change the world by being good hard working people.

We didn’t get to where we are today by taking shortcuts. It was about putting in effort. People worked long hard hours, took risks, built business and families and stayed committed. Their mindset created opportunities and purpose.

In 250 years, id like to see mind their own business and work hard for themselves instead of worrying about everyone and what their doing. This need to become a place where people can take risks and strive to find their purpose.

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Flagler College, King Street, St. Augustine, FL

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What makes America beautiful is the people who form its values

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The next 250 years of America: The Role of AI

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The next 250 years of America: The Role of AI

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A preview into the next 250 years

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Sofia Alvarez 

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Sofia Alvarez 

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Wyatt Nako

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Wyatt Nako

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Katie Costa 

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Katie Costa 

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Rehema Katacha

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Rehema Katacha

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Imani Katacha

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Imani Katacha

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Matthew Dumlao 

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Matthew Dumlao 

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Kymon Warman 

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Kymon Warman 

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Justice Brown 

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Justice Brown 

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Idris Brewster

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Idris Brewster

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Andrew German

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Andrew German

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Arielle Geismar

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Arielle Geismar

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Anatola Araba 

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Youth 250: Letters to America by Anatola Araba 

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Taylor Halloran - what if school wasn't something you just had to get through, but something that actually helped you figure out your life?

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Taylor Halloran - what if school wasn't something you just had to get through, but something that actually helped you figure out your life?

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Flagler College, King Street, St. Augustine, FL

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Dear United States of America,

250 is a big number! I barely remember turning 10. Although you have 231 years on me, I have seen a massive change in this country, too. Something I notice day to day is how divided people can seem. Yes, everyone has an opinion, and yes, sometimes those opinions turn into arguments instead of conversations. But I don’t believe that division is what defines you, America. I think unity does.

You have always been a country full of different people, perspectives, cultures, backgrounds, and beliefs. A “melting pot” as some would call it. That’s why you are so unique. But just because we have differences, why do we have to be separated? Our differences are what makes us the strongest country in the world. Out of all 195 countries on this little planet, we are crowned the best. So why can’t we listen to each other instead of shutting others out. I believe respect and understanding don’t require agreement, but instead, they just require effort.

It may feel easier to stay in our own lanes and groups and talk to people who think the same as us. But for the sake of our future, we need to change that. Change is good. True progress stems from the willingness to hear other’s viewpoints and striving for common ground, even at the most difficult times. But at the end of the day, most people want similar things: safety, opportunity, and arguably the most important, a sense of belonging.

As we move forward, taking responsibility to try to find a solution that resolves constant division is something that can maintain and repair the cracks in this country’s power. We need to aim for a more united America. That doesn’t mean pushing problems to the side or pretending everything is perfect. It just means choosing to approach those problems with respect instead of angst. No matter if the changes are big or small, the way we choose to treat each other can make a big difference over time.

So as we raise our glasses and celebrate your 250 years, I hope you and our country continue to progress into a place where people can disagree without division. A country where listening matters just as much as speaking does. And a country where unity isn’t about being identical, but about working together despite our many differences. Happy, Happy Birthday America! We love you.

All my love,

Haley Hamsher

19 years old

Flagler College ‘29

English Major

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A bald eagle adorned in the colors of the American Flag holding an olive branch, representative of peace.

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Anniversaries like the Semiquincetennial this year are times when we reflect on how we got here and what promises have been fulfilled and which ones haven’t. It’s during this year that we should imagine possibilities about what our country should be in the next 250 years. Here’s a

possibility of what our country should aim for the next milestone.

One is to have a strong public transportation system. Compared to other countries in the world, we lag behind in terms of ridership. The infrastructure that we now have such as highways,

buses, and rail transit have been in poor condition. It would be nice in the next couple of years for cities to modernize and invest in infrastructure. Maybe they could bring back trolleys in order to entice people to use the public transportation system. Congress should invest in a plan

that can bring high speed rail that is common in places like Europe to this country so people don’t always have to rely on airplanes.

Another is a complete ban on AI. Artificial Intelligence has shown itself to be a problem more than a boon. We are seeing that AI has created problems such as job displacement, threaten the livelihood of creative professionals, and impairing skills such as critical thinking. There has to be

action from both the grassroots and in the halls of power to make sure that AI is completely banned from use. To ban it is to save humanity and preserve civilization.

It would also be nice to see a climate where one job is enough to pay the bills. Today, many have to work two or more jobs in order to make ends meet. Even with those multiple jobs, it may not be enough to pay the necessary bills. The next 250 years should see a movement to create an

economic climate so that one job is enough for a wage earner to survive and make the payments.

We should also see a revitalization of the Humanities. Over the years, STEM has been geared a lot towards the youth today because of the offers of high salaries and job security. As a result, Humanities has taken a bit of a beating. It would be nice in the next few years or so to emphasize the importance of the Humanities. Now, I’m not downplaying the importance of

STEM and the people who major in them. They have just as much worth and dignity as any other human being. But I want to note humanities can foster important skills such as empathy, communication, creativity, and problem solving in a way that automation can’t and can also

benefit STEM itself.

And finally, we should bring back third spaces into public life. As a member of Gen Z, I’ve witnessed the erosion of third spaces from life. There was a lot of these spaces when I was a kid. Now as an adult, they’ve been mostly eliminated. All of this has fueled an epidemic of loneliness. The next 250 years should see all sectors bring back third spaces. There should be

investments in things like local libraries and parks that cities can make. When designing urban areas, architects should design them in a way that makes them walkable and conducive to human interaction. Workplaces should create third spaces so coworkers could mingle and get to know one another. These strategies are ones that will help foster belonging and hopefully bring an end to the loneliness epidemic.

These wishes are ones that America should aim for the next years or so. I know these goals are not only shared by me, but also from my fellow Gen Z’ers and thousands of other Americans across this great land. These will not be accomplished overnight and these wishes will take time.

But these are ones that all Americans should strive for. If we take action and accomplish them, our future and our country will be in a much better place than we were before.

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All 14-30 year olds, submit your Letters to America on this form. Once they are submitted, we will review and publish them here and in publications across the country.

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Airtable is a low-code platform for building collaborative apps. Customize your workflow, collaborate, and achieve ambitious outcomes. Get started for free.

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Your generation is so angry all the time.

As an immigrant from a communist country, the caution and concern my grandpa voiced was understandable. During his time in his home country, there was no passionate push for social justice or fervent challenging of the status quo. The social media advocacy movements and school walkout protests of my peers today were unfathomable to him. Loyalty to his country meant putting his head down and pledging unwavering allegiance to the country as it stood.

But how could I explain to him that when I looked at the flag, I didn’t feel anger? Yes, there was frustration for things in my country I wanted to be different. But not anger towards America herself, this vast, beautiful land of diverse, hard working people whose greatest triumph has always been their freedom. For America, I have only ever had hope– hope for how my predecessors have fought before me, for how my generation relentlessly pushes for change, for how future generations will continue to improve our ever changing nation.

I am a patriot not for my unwavering support of America’s actions, but rather my relentless devotion to make this country better. My right hand on my chest while reciting the national anthem is not unconditional approval, but hope and optimism for what can still be changed. The love I have for my country is ardent, but not blind.

Young people aren’t unpatriotic or resentful. We simply view America as a work in progress, rather than a stationary masterpiece. Our patriotism shines when we are involved deeply and given avenues to make change. We don’t just want to be regarded as the future of the country, but acknowledged as a part of it in the present.

I clasped my grandpa’s hands in mine and told him this.

My patriotism is not angry. It is vibrant, audacious, and hopeful. It is equal parts pride for what has come before me, and relentless pursuit towards what can still be built.

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Gen Z Cares About Politics, We Just Don't Believe Politics Cares About Us

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Gen Z Cares About Politics, We Just Don't Believe Politics Cares About Us

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We've entered into a big election year, and people are asking the same tired questions about whether the next generation will show up to repair the broken democracy they've inherited or if apathy will keep them home. I used to believe the myth, but last November proved otherwise. And even in places where youth turnout wasn’t record-breaking, the idea that young people don’t care simply doesn’t match reality. After all, survey data from the 2022 midterms suggests that only 28% of Gen Zers didn’t vote because they thought it wasn’t important. I’ve spent the past two years mobilizing students on dozens of college campuses across the US to register to and cast their votes, and I’ve seen firsthand just how deeply my generation cares about the fate of our country—and why their passion so often stops short of the ballot box.

Every day, thousands of my fellow students from across the nation are working tirelessly to make their campuses and communities a better place. From supporting the operations of local food pantries to administering free flu shots to healthcare workers and providing free income tax assistance, our issue is not indifference. It’s that our preferred forms of engagement often happen outside the orbit of electoral politics.

But this raises an important question: if Gen Z is so invested in social change, why isn’t that energy showing up in voting numbers? The answer is simpler than you may think. For students, casting your ballot is often just plain hard.

I’ve had dormmates from out of state who didn’t have a local driver’s license, meaning they needed to fill out a paper registration form and physically drop it off at the county elections office. Without a car, facing limited public transportation options, and in the middle of a full course load, it was easier for many not to vote. My own voting experience was not without issue.  I ordered an absentee ballot to my campus P.O. box, had to wait weeks for it to arrive, and by the time I filled it out and returned it to my home state, the deadline for acceptance had passed. No matter how engaged college students might be, structural barriers —and often, deliberate disinformation campaigns— pose significant challenges to being able to have a say in our future.

Unfortunately, this leads to a major chicken-and-egg problem. When the existing system prevents young people from voting, candidates and elected officials don’t see young voters as a constituency they must answer to, leaving us feeling unheard and further disengaged. When leaders offer genuine hope, speak to young people’s concerns, and present a future we can imagine ourselves thriving in, something shifts. Just look at Zohran Mamdani’s recent success in New York City. Rather than demonizing his opponents and painting an apocalyptic picture of the Big Apple if he wasn’t elected, he campaigned on a future that would address issues young people care about, such as affordability and housing.

When young people feel seen, when the system opens space for their voices, and when casting a ballot feels like building something new and better, participation stops being a chore and becomes the natural next step.

So, how do we move towards a world where young people are both deeply engaged in their communities and habitual voters? How do we remove the structural challenges students face while countering the narrative that Gen Z doesn’t care?

For young voters, campus organizers, and other interested parties, the answer is simple: get involved with organizations and people who are passionate about closing the voting gap. Nonpartisan groups like the Fair Elections Center’s Campus Vote Project and Every Vote Counts work directly with colleges and universities nationwide to provide students with the resources, information, and opportunities they need to get to the ballot box. From institutionalizing pro-voting campus reforms to directly challenging legislative barriers, exposing disinformation, and supporting nonpartisan voter registration drives, these nonprofits play a critical role in bringing Gen Z’s civic energy to the polls.

But they can’t do it alone. These groups need student leaders like me to help turn our campus networks into real voting power. If we want a government that reflects our needs and the needs of those who come after us, we have to channel the same energy we bring to every other part of our civic lives into the ballot box. We’ve already seen what our votes can do when we show up, and that momentum is ours to build on. With students stepping forward—and with real support from our institutions and communities—we can make voting a habit and strengthen the civic muscle our generation has already proven it possesses.

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I would not have used American to describe myself for a very long time.

I was five years old when I first understood what it meant to leave something behind.

My father had found an opportunity, a fresh start, and so we packed what we could and flew north from Caracas. I didn't know then that Venezuela was already becoming unrecognizable. I only knew that the life we were leaving had been, in every way that mattered, ours.

And America did not feel like mine for a long time.

I ate the hot dogs. I said the Pledge. I learned to conjugate in English before I fully understood what citizenship meant. But identity doesn't follow a schedule or a diet, and for years I held my Americanness at arm's length, not because I didn't love the country, but because I wasn't sure it loved me back the way it loved everyone else. The paperwork made that clear. My mother couldn't work. Our legal status depended on institutions that didn't know our names, nor cared about us.

Even then, I think I was already American in all the ways that counted.

The thing that makes someone American is not the documentation. It is the refusal to stop caring about what this country could be. My father watched the 2016 results come in and, for a moment, questioned whether we had made the right choice. I was in elementary school. My teacher had run a mock election and Hillary won by a landslide, Obama in second place, because we were seven and didn't fully understand how it worked. But I remember the weight of that night. I remember what it looked like on my father's face. He had left a country because he believed in democratic institutions, and here, at the kitchen table, democracy felt fragile in a way that was eerily familiar.

That recognition, and grief for democracy, is the most American thing I have ever felt.

Because to grieve for a country, you have to love it first. And loving a country, really loving it, means seeing it clearly: not as myth, not as symbol, but as a project that is always unfinished and always worth fighting for.

I did not become interested in civics because I had answers. Rather, I became interested because I had questions I couldn't stop asking. I flew alone to Washington, D.C. for the first time, in the middle of the biggest IT outage in years, and landed just in time to learn that Joe Biden had dropped out of the race. I lobbied in the halls of a government I had studied mostly from the outside. I stood in rooms where history was moving and tried to understand what my voice was supposed to do in them.

What I found, every time, was that service was the answer to the questions I kept asking. Not service as performance. The kind that shows you that your presence matters, that you are not a guest in the project of democracy, but an active contributor to it.

No one believes in this country the way people who chose it do. My family did not come here for easy wealth or a clean break from the past. We came because we believed that a country organized around written rights, with institutions designed to outlast any one leader, was worth the sacrifice of everything familiar. We came because authoritarianism teaches you, very efficiently, to love the things it destroys.

I was naturalized in April of 2025. On paper, that is when I became American. But I think I knew it long before then, sometime between the mock elections and the first time I walked into a room in Washington and said what I believed out loud to someone with the power to act on it. Sometime between the arepas we never gave up and the Pledge I said every morning in a language that still feels borrowed.

But I am, in every way I know how to measure it, American, and I am home.

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Dear America,

Oftentimes, we find ourselves at the crossroads of me or we. This presents the age-old question that has been asked countless times: What is it to you? It is indisputable that as a result of the pandemic, we have become more individualistic as a society. We should be a country where there are different understandings, but a shared identity of compassion and acceptance of differences. While the age-old question is individualistic, perhaps we can extend it to be collective. What is it to you when your neighbor is hurting and suffering under the weight of life? What is it to you when the government implicates civil rights and freedoms, irrespective of political party? What is it to you when policies negatively impact the least among us? As we celebrate America's 250th anniversary, let us look back as we look forward. It is only when we ask questions in the collective on how we act as human beings and how the government asserts power that we rise to be the shining city on the hill.

The following is my request: check on one another even amidst troubling times in multiple areas of society. Together, we can overcome our own weaknesses, ugliness in character, and blind spots, so that the sun may never stop shining over our nation, our country, and our home.

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Letter to America from the first-generation of breaking a cycle 

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Letter to America from the first-generation of breaking a cycle 

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America is built on values. Its first official texts announce the importance of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Those three things might have slightly different meanings to individual people. But our understanding of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness aren’t so different that we miss the larger picture.

Most of us can agree what these three things aren’t: selling American lives for oil, allowing government officials to invade private spaces to selectively enforce immigration rules, or forcing women to have risky C-sections.

My parents are immigrants, and came to the U.S. as adults. They made the choice, willingly and joyfully, to pledge allegiance to this country. Nowhere is perfect, but my parents were happy that here, they had free access for their daughters to decent schools, economic opportunities, and free speech. My sisters and I were all born in the same hospital and raised in the same small city, and all we know is America. It is our country: my sister works for the government, my dad served his community in healthcare for over thirty years, and I am studying to become a lawyer. Any talk of going “home” goes nowhere, because this is our home. Immigrants are the backbone for this country, and they make America special.

But some of our policies and actions, right now, make it easy to forget the bold, unified, and free vision that compelled the original Americans to accept the Constitution and its promises.

For America’s 250th birthday, I picture a recommitment to what the founders sought in the revolution and wrote in our founding texts, even when they couldn’t always live up to it. No kings; dignity and respect for individuals; economic flourishing for all, not just aristocrats.

I spend a lot of my time telling my friends and family that two things can be simultaneously true: that life, and this country, is much better than it was 100 years ago, and still, that we could be doing much better. People are physically healthier, live longer, live in less pain, have more free time, and have more rights than before. At the same time, America is the richest country in the world, and its people, my friends and family, often feel left behind. It’s sometimes hard to feel lucky when government officials intimidate, tear gas, assault, or even kill people for doing the first thing this country promised them: the right to free speech and assembly.

No one believes in the American dream like the people who chose to be here, and the young people like me who want to see this country flourish into my old age feel the stakes in trying to keep this country great and make it better. I don’t want to repeat the generational pattern: my grandparents fled Palestine, and my parents fled Kuwait. I want my daughter to grow up in a free country that fully embodies its promises, to give her the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I choose this country, and I hope that together, we all choose it too.

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Members from FTDT perform "Through Us" Letters to America

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Members from FTDT perform "Through Us" | Letters to America

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Idris Brewster performs "from my grandmother's hands to yours" Letters to America

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Idris Brewster performs "from my grandmother's hands to yours" | Letters to America

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Young People Answer: 'Dear America" Youth250 Our Declaration

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Young People Answer: “Dear America…”  | Youth250 Our Declaration

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Ryan Shank presents Past is Prologue Letters to America

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Ryan Shank presents "Past is Prologue" | Letters to America

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Wyatt Nako performs "Blackbird" by the Beatles with Special Guests Letters to America

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Wyatt Nako performs "Blackbird" by the Beatles with Special Guests | Letters to America

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Anatola Araba performs "America is not Okay" Letters to America

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Anatola Araba performs "America is Not Okay" | Letters to America

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Jasmine Lewis performs "America A New Dimension" Letters to America

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Jasmine Lewis performs "America, A New Dimension" | Letters to America

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Justice Brown performs "Founders"-Letters to America

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Justice Brown performs "Founders" | Letters to America

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Katie Costa performs "Designing What Comes Next" | Letters to America

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Katie Costa performs "Designing What Comes Next" | Letters to America

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HistoryMiami Museum, West Flagler Street, Miami, FL

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The Voice of the Future: HistoryMiami Passes the Mic to Students

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The Voice of the Future: HistoryMiami Passes the Mic to Students

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As we approach July 4, 2026, the United States marks 250 years of an ongoing experiment in democracy. To honor this milestone, HistoryMiami Museum invites high school students to reflect on our shared history, the power of the written and spoken word, and what it means to be "We the People" in 2026.

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Youth250 Members in Washington Post Op-Ed for July 4th!

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Youth250 Members in Washington Post Op-Ed for July 4th!

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Opinion | We’re young and love America. Our peers should be patriotic, too.

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Young Americans share why they’re optimistic about the future of the U.S.

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Youth250 Writing Club: The History You Didn’t Know About the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

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Youth250 Writing Club: The History You Didn’t Know About the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

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by Jewel Navia, 21

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Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade with Uncle Sam balloon in the 1940s. (Courtesy of Macy's)

Every Thanksgiving, my family and I tune in to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade on NBC. My favorite parts of the parade are always the character balloons, the musical performances from the SpongeBob Musical to My Fair Lady, and Santa Claus arriving at the end to mark the beginning of the Winter Holidays. It is quite a thrill to watch.

As we celebrate Thanksgiving and the parade's 100th anniversary next year, it's time to reflect on how this parade began and what it means for us as a country.The parade started in the mid-1920s,thanks to the employees at Macy's Department Store. The employees wanted to showcase Macy's big store in Herald Square - which had recently opened - boost sales for the holiday season, and give thanks. In the mid-1920s, many of the employees at Macy's were first generation European immigrants, and the parade was a way to celebrate the holiday season that was rooted in the traditions of their native countries.

In the leadup to the first parade, Macy's began advertising as "a surprise New York will never forget." On November 27, 1924, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade began with 10,000 New Yorkers showing up to watch Macy's employees, festive floats, and animals from the Central Park Zoo march down two blocks. It concluded with Santa Claus ascending to the top of the marquee above the Macy's 34th Street entrance where he was crowned "King of the Kiddies." Afterwards, a trumpet blared out, showcasing the unveiling of Macy's window displays to the crowd in attendance. The parade was so well received that the day after the parade, Macy's announced the parade was going to become an annual event.

Over time, the parade has evolved to become the one that we know and love today. In 1927, the first balloon showed up at the parade to replace the animals that had frightened some children. The first balloon was Felix the Cat, a cartoon character whose popularity would later be eclipsed by Mickey Mouse. The following year, the giant balloons were filled with helium and released into the air. If someone was lucky enough to find a balloon, they could return it and earn a reward. This tradition continued until 1932 when it was discontinued due to environmental and safety concerns.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade continued to grow even during the Great Depression.In 1933, an estimated one million spectators lined the streets to watch the parade. Amidst the uncertainty and despair, spectators could revel in the sight of the floats, new balloon characters such as Mickey Mouse and Superman, and even listen in as the parade was broadcasted on several radio stations in New York.

The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was suspended from 1942 to 1944 as America entered World War II. Materials like rubber and helium were in high demand to aid the war effort. In the postwar years the parade became not just a New York phenomenon, but an American one. In 1947, the holiday classic Miracle on 34th Street was released and featured the iconic Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The following year saw the event have its first broadcast on national TV, inspiring celebrities to start performing in the parade.

Since then, the parade has only continued to grow. Last year's parade was the largest in its history, with 5,000 volunteers, 32 balloons, 22 floats, 700 clowns, eleven marching bands, and 10 performance groups.

People enjoying the 2023 Thanksgiving Day Parade. (Eugene Gologursky / Getty Images for Macy's, Inc.)

The continued growth and the longevity of the parade taught me two things. First, that the parade is one of the few third spaces that has remained active for all these years. As a young person, I've noticed many third spaces have vanished from public life, increasing issues like loneliness. The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an antidote to that. Whether you're watching the parade at home with family and friends or in person in Manhattan, it helps foster connection and community across the country.

Second, this parade is more than just a mere spectacle and a beloved tradition. The parade has fostered unity and a sense of national spirit among those who watch it. From the Great Depression to our polarized times today, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has helped Americans of all stripes come together and revel in something to enjoy and take pride in. It's because of this that the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will always be that great miracle that happened on 34th Street.
Jewel Navia is a 24-year-old in Los Angeles, CA.

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The History You Didn't Know About the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade

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The History You Didn't Know About the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade From Mickey Mouse to WWII by Jewel Navia, 24| Youth250 Content Corps Every Thanksgiving, my family and I tune in to the ...

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Irving Archives and Museum, West Irving Boulevard, Irving, TX

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Substack: Stop Treating Teens Like Passive Visitors!

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Substack: Stop Treating Teens Like Passive Visitors!

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Stop Treating Teens Like Passive Visitors

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Why radical welcome, co-creation, and youth power are the real work of the 250th.

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National Portrait Gallery, Washington, DC

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Hundreds of teens submitted their artworks to the National Portrait Gallery’s Teen Portrait Competition

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Hundreds of teens submitted their artworks to the National Portrait Gallery’s Teen Portrait Competition

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Explore the works: https://www.instagram.com/p/DSFghQmDsyq/?img_index=6&igsh=dnN4YTU3MngyOHNx

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History Class Ought to Take a Lesson From TikTok

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History Class Ought to Take a Lesson From TikTok

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by Sarah Behjet

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"First came the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and you can't forget about Bunker Hill..."
My middle school self was trapped in yet another history lecture, this one about a timeline of the American Revolution's battles. Instead of feigning engagement in class, I glanced outside at the swaying pine trees and red cardinals chirping. As the history lesson continued, I doodled on the corner of my college-ruled notebook in an attempt to make time go faster.

My experience is hardly an outlier. A 2023 study reveals that only 28% of middle school students are interested in learning more about history. There's hardly anything entrancing about chronology, made worse by the need to memorize battle names without learning the significance attached to each one.

Then, something happened that changed my view. I was scrolling away on Instagram, past clothing ads and my friends' summer photos, when the account @historycoolkids caught my eye with a post about an old prediction for what phones could be and do. I clicked to learn more, and the post taught me that a 1953 San Francisco businessman prophesied the telephone's future uses, correctly speculating that it could be handheld and translate between languages. I was hooked. Was there more out there that might connect to my world today? Or stories that could surprise me? I spent hours going down rabbit holes on Wikipedia, Instagram, and TikTok discovering new topics. These questions, accompanied by photos and artifacts, fueled more and more searches.

Social media's purpose took on a new meaning after my endless searches. It enabled me to do so much more than just doomscroll; it opened my eyes to topics that made history personal, and critically, surprising. A world sans rote memorization and outdated textbooks existed, and I'd just found it. History wasn't a set of facts, or a class with all the answers - it was the tool to discover more questions and unknown stories.

Broadening my horizons about the past, even on a five-inch screen, made me realize how static historical information in the classroom is. I knew exactly what to expect going in to my U.S. history class: the same "classic" stories we're usually taught about the wars, presidents and major events. It's like watching a movie you've seen before; you might get more of the details this time, but the element of surprise is nonexistent.

Yet, as an American with Assyrian and Armenian roots, I happened to know there was more to history, because my ancestors lived it. In class, I only learned about the economic and governmental intricacies of the Ottoman Empire - never about the 1915 Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek genocides perpetrated by the same empire. I only heard about the "extinct" Assyrians of Mesopotamia - never that Assyrians still exist worldwide. It's been well argued that omitting minority perspectives from world and American history is a fast track to making students feel left out. But what people don't realize is it's also a fast track to boredom. Tiktok, with all of its flaws, fuels an addictive way to search and find new, unexpected information. History teachers could take a lesson from this.

I would be lying if I said that my out-of-school history escapades fully quelled the monotony of history class. However, they add layers to what I learn in school, making textbook information something of an unlocked treasure chest. If it's unrealistic for schools to ditch pre-existing history curriculum, we can at least encourage students to use out-of-school resources- yes, even TikTok, Youtube and Instagram - to supplement classroom instruction.

I'm still gazing outside classroom windows and mindlessly doodling in notebooks, hoping for something interesting to happen. But with new tools under my belt, I know that when I learn about the Statue of Liberty, I can go look up a more interesting question: Does the Liberty Bell actually have a spelling mistake in its inscription? In making inquiries beyond the history class curriculum, every "Hmm..." turns into a "No way!", adding excitement to the learning journey.
Sarah Behjet is a 16-year-old junior at Northwest Catholic High School in Farmington, CT.

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History Class Ought to Take a Lesson From TikTok

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History Class Ought to Take a Lesson From TikTok Don't overlook the element of surprise to fuel learning by Sarah Behjet, 16 | Youth250 Content Corps "First came the Battles of Lexington and ...

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Youth250's Meg Schanes at the New Jersey League of Municipalities

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Youth250's Meg Schanes at the New Jersey League of Municipalities

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Lauren Sermersheim and Halle Gensler representing Youth250 at the Bonner Congress

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Lauren Sermersheim and Halle Gensler representing Youth250 at the Bonner Congress

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Shayna Canty and KaRa Lyn Thrasher representing Youth250 at the Participatory Budgeting Project Conference

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Shayna Canty and KaRa Lyn Thrasher representing Youth250 at the Participatory Budgeting Project Conference

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Youth250 Bureau Members advising the National Archives Foundation in DC

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Youth250 Bureau Members advising the National Archives Foundation in DC